title: CP210X
linktitle: cp210x
parent: TOP
ctime: 2009-12-10

Repositories: [cp210x](http://repo/gitweb/?p=cp210x.git;a=summary), [[aptrepo]].

# A USB to UART chip

[Silicon Labs](http://www.silabs.com) sells a single-chip USB to UART bridge,
the [cp210x](http://www.silabs.com/products/interface/usbtouart/Pages/default.aspx).
For windows platforms, Silicon Labs offers manufacturing support for setting
the various USB descriptor fields, port configurations, etc.  They also offer a
DLL and example programs showing how to manipulate the GPIO pins available on
the cp2103 part.

With support from Silicon Labs, TMI has modified their GPLv2 licensed reference
Linux driver to support all of the features their Windows DLLs and utilities
provide.  This is accomplished via extended `ioctl()` calls from the kernel
cp210x driver, and various utilities and sample code.  This code is invaluable
for those working on hardware designs using the cp2103.  The code is released
under the GPLv2.

TMI completed these driver changes of a year ago and has since been maintaining
it.  Silicon Labs was to push these changes through to the mainline kernel, but
this clearly has not happened yet.  TMI will be working directly with the kernel
cp210x maintainer to investigate incorporating our changes.  Meanwhile, TMI
will continue to maintain its branch of the cp210x driver.  The
`cp210x-module-dkms` package in the APT repository has been tested on Ubuntu
Hardy and Karmic systems with both 32 and 64 bit x86 (Intel/AMD) processors.
